A new study has found that 70 per cent of women are concerned about sexual assault at music festivals, and 69 per cent of women are concerned about sexual harassment.
The research by Durham University also revealed that around 30 per cent of women said that they had been sexually harassed at a music festival themselves, while 10 per cent said that they had been sexually assaulted at UK music festivals.
“These figures are shocking but not surprising as this is just more evidence that women fear for their safety at live music festivals,” said Mel Kelly of Safe Gigs for Women in a statement. “This fits anecdotally with what we hear every day. Hopefully organisers hear this and respond appropriately.”
Consent is essential, whether it be between a man and a women, same sex people, non binary, trans or gender fluid. Groping someone of the same sex is just as awful as if it was someone of the opposite sex. #consentrocks #emphaticconsent #safegigs4women #festivalseason
— safegigs4women (@safegigs4women) August 18, 2018
Conducted by Durham University’s sociology department, 258 responses were received while investigating safety at British festivals. It found that only five per cent of men had experienced sexual harassment at festivals, and one per cent sexual assault. However, it found that 53-56 per cent of men were worried about sexual harassment and assault.
This comes after figures revealed earlier this year showed that sexual harassment or assault has been experienced by nearly one in five people at British music festivals.
A poll by the Press Association reveals that some 22 per cent of all Britons who have been to a festival experienced faced unwanted sexual behaviour, with the figure rising to one in three of women (30 per cent) and nearly half (43 per cent) of women under 40. Specifically, the most common forms of unwanted sexual behaviour experienced by respondents came in the form of forceful dancing and sexual verbal harassment.
Another eleven percent of women had experienced sexual assault while they were conscious, in contrast to three per cent of men. Four percent of women also said they faced a sexual assault while unconscious or asleep, compared to two per cent of men.
It also revealed that seventy percent of sexual assault victims did not know the perpetrator, while only 1 per cent of women reported sexual assault or harassment to a member of festival staff.
For more information, visit Safe Gigs For Women here.